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7 ridiculously cool places to check out in Colombo

Thinking to book a holiday to Sri Lanka? Here's why you shouldn't skip the capital

Naturally dyed aprons by AMMA, stocked in Urban Island

December 21, 2018 | Rebecca Gillam

Sri Lanka is a trending destination right now, with numbers of tourists — coming for sun, surf and tea plantations — rising from 447,890 in 2009 to 2.1 million last year, according to Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority. Ranked by Lonely Planet as the #1 country for travel in 2019, it’s set to become even more popular.

In spite of this, the capital city of Colombo gets a less-than-shiny rep, mainly blamed on traffic, pollution and business. But, thanks to a buzzing brunch and creativity scene, there are places popping up all over that will appease the most picky of millennial tastes.

There’s a lot of culture in the Sri Lankan capital, including some beautiful Buddhist temples, but there is also brunch to eat, galleries to wander around and shops to peruse…

On the chichi end of the Colombo shopping scene, Urban Island has a collation of Scandi-cool homeware, eco lifestyle, a range of clothing brands and a room dedicated to superfoods — which retail for far less than in the UK. We mean 150g of Moringa for 250 rupees (which translates to just over a pound).

Known for its range of quality, weaved fabrics, made into everything from cushion covers to overalls, Barefoot is a favourite with the creative crowd. Downstairs, through the expansive store, is a courtyard — complete with coy carp, tortoises and live music — where you can brunch, lunch or dine. There’s also a cute little gallery that’s worth popping your head into, regardless of what’s showing, for the pretty architecture.

One of the newer cafes on the Colombo brunch scene, Kiku, which combines Japanese and Sri Lankan fare with a minimal, neutral, Scandi-esque aesthetic that wouldn’t look out of place in London or New York. As well as genuinely delicious food (we’d recommend the wasabi avo bagel, which is baked in-house, and matcha doughnut), it sells a selection of cool ceramics.

Another favourite brunch spot, Plus Nine Four has a healthy, extensive menu with breakfasts and light lunches (and things in between, like the loaded toasts), served in the light and airy interior or the quiet little courtyard. Pay particular attention to the innovative cigarette butt recycling, which reuses them as an alternative to plastic bean bag fillings.

You’ll notice the characteristic Paradise Road rubber coasters, monochrome ceramics and rustic-finish cutlery in pretty much every chic eatery in Sri Lanka. There’s that, and a ridiculous amount more homeware in their main store — including sculptures, figure door stops and a Beauty and the Beast style chandelier made from white crockery. The Paradise Road Gallery has less stock but, set in the former offices of ‘tropical modernist’ architect Geoffrey Bawa, is well worth a pop (and pap) in. Also, though on the pricier side, the cafe is beautiful.

One of the dreamiest places in Colombo, Prana Lounge hosts a packed itinerary of yoga, crystal healings and chakra session. The healthy cafe (which, if you eat at, get the avo toast, pimped up with basic, balsamic, radish, tomato, cucumber and lime) and shop, which sells clothing, mats and — best of all — bargain crystals. Truly a place you could spend a whole day — and hopefully overlap with a children’s meditation class, which are adorable to see.

With lots of start-up fashion brands and emerging designers coming out of Sri Lanka, having some of the best collated in to one, albeit huge, building is an efficient way to shop. With a few rooms for clothing, next to a smart little cafe, opening out into a vast furniture and homeware space, it’s somewhere to leave a little time and energy (and money) for. Make sure your pay proper attention to the ceramics which, though not all Sri Lankan, are inexpensive and covetable — and ideal for gifts, if you pack them safely in clothes for the journey home.

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